If you had asked Morgan Strohmann several years ago if he was thinking of a career change to firefighting, he would’ve said no.
Since May 12, the former IT manager for School District 51 is wearing a new title now: Grand Forks Fire/Rescue Deputy Fire Chief-Prevention and Public Safety.
He joins Deputy Chief Mike Daloise and Chief Rich Piche as the service’s top brass. At 25, he’s also among the youngest in the province.
He’s been with the emergency service for nearly five years, starting out as a volunteer firefighter at the station on North Fork Road, eventually moving to the main station on Second Avenue when he moved into the city. When the position opened up, he put in his application.
He replaces former Deputy Fire Chief Brittany Jalbert.
While a local person and current member was chosen, Strohmann explained the position was posted on a nationwide job board and there were applications from across Canada.
“I’ve been involved with Grand Forks Fire/Rescue for a few years as it’s something that interested me, getting involved in the community,” he said. “I got interested in the training side of things and wanted be more active in the community and public safety part of it.”
The interest in firefighting just naturally progressed, he said, to the point where he decided it was a long-term career goal for him.
His main responsibilities are in public awareness campaigns, such as smoke alarms, school program coordination, inspections and compliance.
While he's been a volunteer firefighter for a few years, becoming a professional has been a lifestyle change. He was full-time IT manager at the school board and a paid, on-call volunteer, showing up when needed.
“I showed up for calls and events, I wasn’t there every day,” he said. “It’s obviously different in the types of work, but it’s been a good change.”
